0
0
The attending doctor will be a key and important figure when proving a car accident claim because they can give evidence and testimonies to verify an injury claim. For instance, the doctor can link your injuries to the auto accident in question.
The first action after a car accident should be to contact a top Bakersfield injury attorney. The lawyer will assess the circumstances surrounding your case and recommend an appropriate available legal option for resolving the issue. Besides, legal counsel, your attorney can recommend a good doctor and the right treatment plan thanks to experience in similar cases.
Talking to a Doctor about Car Accident Injuries
The following actions can help befriend your doctor and make them a crucial part of your case.
- Inform your Doctor about the Car Accident
You should tell the doctor that you’re an accident casualty without withholding or exaggerating anything. Share what you’re feeling and specify all symptoms. In other words, you shouldn’t just report your pain, let the doctor know that you were involved in a car accident. Your doctor may never know that your pain is connected to a car accident if you don’t inform them.
Treatment records provide evidence, connecting injuries to a car crash. Unfortunately, medical records can help you in such a way if the doctor is aware that you survived a car crash. The doctor can also give a medical opinion stating that the injuries resulted from/ are related to the car accident.
- Share Your Medical History with Your Doctor
The doctor should be aware of your medical history, particularly if the doctor is not your regular physician. An expert opinion about a car accident can be incredible if it’s provided without considering the impact of pre-existing conditions that may influence your injury claim. For instance, a prior head injury can impact a traumatic brain injury claim. And that’s why you should share everything with your doctor.
- Be Clear, Concise, and Specific
Try to paint a clear and detailed picture when discussing the suspected injuries or symptoms. For example, instead of saying “my neck hurts,” you can use terms, such as throbbing, burning, or stabbing to be more specific. You can also share the details of your accident, such as the type of accident (head-on collision, rear-ended, or others) where the car was hit, where you were sitting, and more. Such details can help the doctor diagnose your injuries accurately.
- Discuss an Appropriate Treatment Plan
Patients should thoroughly understand the treatment plans or procedures recommended by their doctors to help them make informed decisions, such as giving informed medical consent. Other types of medical consent can include implied consent, express consent, and unanimous consent. Otherwise, a lack of informed medical consent can be ground for filing a medical malpractice claim if anything goes wrong during treatment. The doctor should educate you on what the recommended treatment procedure entails, including side effects, risks, benefits, and likely challenges associated with the procedure.
It’s important to finish treatment and recover fully before seeking compensation for your loss after the car accident because your claim should include all medical costs related to the accident. Medical costs are integral to an injury claim, whether you pursue compensation through an insurance company or the courts. However, you can’t delay much before filing your injury claim if recovery is likely to take longer. Instead, you can file an injury claim and demand compensation for expected medical and personal care as part of the recoverable damages. Discussing the treatment plan with your doctor can help predict a fair and just compensation.
- Seek to Know Whether You Can Work
You should get the opinion of your doctor on whether you can work as you recover from the accident injuries. Also, you should get the opinion of your doctor on whether your injuries will need special accommodations or considerations once you resume working. The law requires employers to adjust the workplace environment and ensure the needs of an injured worker are catered to–it’s an offense to terminate an employee based on their physical disability.
Sometimes workers overburden themselves for the sake of retaining their jobs, particularly if they’re likely to be terminated due to physical injuries. Working beyond your limits can slow the recovery process or increase your injuries. Also, plaintiffs should prevent further injuries or avoid activities that can increase the risk of more injuries, according to personal injury law. The recoverable damages can be negatively impacted if the court finds out that you overworked yourself and exposed yourself to more injuries. Your doctor can give you a document to prove that you’re on medical leave that can also be used as evidence when seeking compensation for lost wages.
With the right and accurate information, your doctor can be a great source of evidence. Remember a doctor’s positive opinion can increase the success rate of an injury claim.
